Chapter 22: Special Care Skills

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, procedures, and concepts from Chapter 22: Special Care Skills.

Anesthesia

The use of medication to block pain during surgery and other medical procedures.

Preoperative

Before surgery.

Postoperative

After surgery.

Pulse oximeter

A noninvasive device that uses a light to determine the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Telemetry

A cardiac monitoring device that sends information about the heart's rhythm and rate to a monitoring station.

Artificial airway

Any tube inserted into the respiratory tract to maintain or promote breathing.

Intubation

The passage of a plastic tube through the mouth, nose, or opening in the neck and into the trachea.

Tracheostomy

A surgically created opening through the neck into the trachea.

Mechanical ventilation

The use of a machine to inflate and deflate the lungs when a person is unable to breathe on his own.

Sedative

An agent or drug that helps calm and soothe a person and may cause sleep.

Chest tubes

Hollow drainage tubes that are inserted into the chest to drain air, blood or other fluid, or pus that has collected inside the pleural cavity or space.

Subacute setting

A unit for residents who need more treatment, monitoring, and services than other residents, such as those recovering from recent surgery, managing chronic illnesses like AIDS, or requiring complex wound care, dialysis, or mechanical ventilation.

Elective surgery

A type of non-emergency surgery performed by choice, such as a facelift.

Urgent surgery

A type of surgery that must be performed within a short time frame, such as coronary artery bypass surgery.

Emergency surgery

An immediate surgery required to save life or function, such as repairing damage from a gunshot wound.

Normal blood oxygen level

A blood oxygen level that is typically between $95\%$ and $100\%$.